The far-right Austrian politician, Joerg Haider, is tempering his language as he senses power in the aftermath of the country's general election.

Mr Haider now says he regrets making favourable comments about Adolf Hitler.

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Since his Freedom Party won more than 25% of the vote in the general election at the weekend, Mr Haider has been portrayed around the world as a Neo-Nazi sympathiser.

But he told the BBC's Nine O'Clock News that his words had often been twisted by his political enemies.

Mr Haider first climbed the political ladder in Austria's Carinthia state, successfully winning the governorship on a platform of right-wing - some say fascist - ideas.

Now he says he has turned Austrian politics on its head and he is ready to form a government if asked.

Twisted words

By coming second in Sunday's general election, with 27% of the vote, Mr Haider says he has broken the post-war domination of the Social Democrats and Conservatives.

He also says he regrets his past praise of Hitler's policies, which include describing the Third Reich's employment policies as orderly.

Now he says: "It was only one sentence inside a statement in the parliament, and my political opponents put one sentence up and made it into a campaign against me."

The BBC asked him about a meeting he attended of Waffen SS veterans in which he described them as decent men of character.

Mr Haider said: "I met them at a meeting. I couldn't know who was among the audience. I think this is the risk for a politician during all meetings."